The former Syracuse wide receiver finished the 2012 season fourth in the Big East in receiving yards (882) and tied for second in receiving touchdowns (8) but was not an all-conference selection.

Weeks later, he did not receive an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine.

"That’s kind of motivation for me to go out there and prove everybody wrong," Sales said. "I felt like I had a real good season. I left a couple plays out there, but overall I felt like I had a real good season. I definitely have a lot of things that are on my mind that I want to show people what I can do."

Speed has been the biggest knock on the former four-star receiver, so Sales relocated to Naples, Fla., following the 2012 season to improve his quickness prior to the NFL Draft. There he trained with Total Athletic Performance to pick apart his running technique and hopefully improve his time in the 40-yard dash. Driving him is the feeling — twice — of being overlooked, and he is targeting Syracuse's pro day in early March to show scouts and critics what he feels they've been missing.

His senior season got off to a flying start, and it appeared he was well on his way to topping 1,000 yards. He went over 100 yards in the first three games while scoring four touchdowns. The big-play ability that fans and coaches expected throughout his career was finally on display, as he worked well both in the slot and on the outside.

At 6-feet tall and 192 pounds, Sales does not possess the ideal body frame for an outside receiver at the next level. But his experience in the slot while teammate Alec Lemon recovered from an injury is something he hopes to draw on moving forward.

"I definitely think I can be a playmaker at the next level," Sales said. "I see myself as like a Brandon Lloyd-type of guy. I can see myself playing inside and outside, so that’s definitely a good thing for me not just being one-dimensional."

Sales continues to work with speed coach Derek Touchette in Florida, focusing 100 percent on quickness. Each day consists of perfecting Sales' running form — originally he picked up his head too quickly out of the blocks, had poor angles with his feet as he pushed off the ground — with the ultimate goal of producing a 40-yard dash time in the high 4.4- or low 4.5-second range.

He will be timed in the 40 next week, which is his last in Florida, as a final evaluation to see how far he's come. Then he will return to Syracuse to prepare for pro day, where the all-or-nothing 40-yard dash will take place.

"Everybody wants to see my run, see my 40 time," Sales said. "That’s probably the biggest thing that everybody wants to see about me. My technique is better, and I feel like I’m getting out of the blocks better. I’m just feeling a lot more confident about everything, way more than what I felt when I got here. I know I'm improving."

Sales is the 57th-ranked wide receiver, according to CBSSports.com, and he is not currently projected to be drafted. But if he can come out and meet his goal in the 40-yard dash time, he becomes a very intriguing late-round or priority free agent possibility.

The ability to get open was arguably his best trait at Syracuse, and he showed a bit of a clutch gene at well (see Northwestern, South Florida 2012). So if he can blend those traits with increased speed, Sales could potentially avoid being snubbed again.

"I was definitely surprised I didn’t get an invite to the combine," he said. "Things happen. I’m just going to use pro day as the combine for me, and I’m just going to go out there and try to impress the scouts."